New Continental aluminum turbocharger lightweight, efficient

DETROIT, MI- Continental is combining two growing trends of the automotive industry into a first of its kind product.

The global automotive supplier is producing a new turbocharger with aluminum turbine housing that improves efficiency and lowers the part's weight by 30 percent over its steel predecessor. It is the first time aluminum housing has been used for a production turbocharger, according to company officials.

"Does it solve all the problems? Probably not," said Kregg Wiggins, Continental North America senior vice president of powertrain, during a recent media event in Traverse City, Mich. "But it's a good step."

That "step," according to Wiggins, includes reducing the part by 2.5 pounds and bringing an up to 20 percent increase in fuel economy.

The aluminum turbocharger is specifically designed for small displacement engines. It is debuting on BMW's 1.5-liter, 134-horsepower turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine used in the Mini 3-door.

One of the most innovative technologies behind the aluminum turbocharger is how Continental manage the high heat of the turbocharger. Along with the double-walled aluminum housing, a cooling water jacket also surrounds the hottest area of the turbocharger. The coolant flowing through this jacket ensures that the external housing surface does not get hotter than 248 degrees Fahrenheit and the internal temperature does not exceed 662 degrees Fahrenheit.

The new turbocharger with aluminum housing by Continental is lighter and more economical.Continental

The new turbocharger, Wiggins said, could be offered on other engines in the future, as the turbocharger market continues to grow. Continental, which started producing turbochargers in 2011, is forecasting 13 percent annual growth globally in turbocharged engines through 2020.

Automakers, including the Detroit Three, are turning to turbochargers as a way to increase fuel economy due to government regulations without sacrificing performance.

A turbocharger allows smaller engines, such as a four-cylinder, to produce power equivalent to a larger engine. Turbochargers pump extra air into the engine to deliver more power. The advantage of compressing the air is that it lets the engine squeeze more air into a cylinder, and more air means that more fuel can be added.

According to auto research and forecasting company LMC Automotive, turbocharged engines are expected to increase from 16 percent this year to about 33 percent of all new vehicle sales in the U.S. in 2018.

Continental, which has its North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich., also currently supplies a conventional turbocharger for Ford Motor Co.'s award-winning 1.0-liter Ecoboost three-cylinderengine and recently announced a $150 million investment to produce a new turbocharger in Virginia.

The new turbocharger -- Continental's third turbocharger product since starting to produce the parts since 2011 -- marks the first time Continental plans to produce turbochargers in the U.S.

Continental currently produces turbochargers in Germany and Czech Republic. The company plans to produce turbochargers in Virginia and Chine by 2017.